move to thailand

I’ve recently just come back from Phuket and i totally fell in love with it.
I really want to move out there as soon as i can (:

I’ve decided this isn’t going to solve all my problems in life. I need to get the other things that truly bother me sorted, then there’ll be no need to mvoe away.

Apparently, the husband lied about just how excited he was about moving to Thailand. And as much as I would still like to move there, I would not do so knowing he would not be happy with it.

Well after an excruciatingly long flight I finally made it to Bangkok. It’s been a whirlwind of change: meeting new people, checking out the school, adjusting to the heat and the food. The school is super nice and the students are so cute but the neighborhood feels somewhat secluded. I feel trapped here! But my friend and I are going to try to figure out how to get to the city tonight and I’ve got to go to the mall to get some stuff for my room so I’ll be able to venture out into Bangkok.

I was feeling kind of homesick this morning but I am starting to adjust more. It is definitely a big change but it’s really exciting and I can’t wait to see more.

Only 3 more days to go until the big day. I was bustling about most of the day trying to take care of things. I was able to have a good bye lunch with some friends, pack up some things and take them over to grams for storage, close my old bank account and deposit the money into the new account, enter all my phone numbers from my cell phone into my online address book because I won’t have my cell phone, buy a phone card and pack and get rid of stuff that I won’t be taking with me.

I’m scared I’m running out of time to get stuff done but I’m sure things will work out in the end.

i bought my plane ticket to leave on the 24th. only a week away and i’m scrambling to get everything done. receiving mail is proving to be very difficult. i was expecting a check to arrive and they sent it to the wrong apartment number so they have to cancel the check and reissue it so i probably won’t even get it until after i’m gone. so frustrating but no one ever said that moving to another country is easy.

i’m sooo worried about the heat. its been in the 80’s here and i’m sweating bullets. what will i do in thailand where 80 will be cool weather??

I received my paperwork to apply for a work visa and went to the Thai consulate in L.A. today. I was realling stressing because they closed at 12 p.m. and I didn’t get there until 11:45 (I left at 10!). I just have to go back tomorrow to pick up the visa and then i’ll buy my plane ticket.

the principal included a brochure for the school so i got to see pictures of the facilities and it looks really nice! i don’t know what i was expecting but it looks very modern and air conditioned. they have a pool, a computer lab and a nice library and the kids look so cute! and the principal confirmed that i’ll have a spot in the teachers living quarters which are right by the school so i won’t have to worry about bangkok traffic.

i think i decided to leave earlier than i was planning. i was originally planning on leaving on Aug 16th because plane tickets are about $150 less after that date. but i’m not working right now and my friend made a good point, the sooner i leave the sooner i will be earning money. so it might actually be cheaper if i leave sooner than waiting for the cheap tickets. plus i’m quickly degenerating into a lazy bum because i’m not working.

but that means theres lots to do in less time. i set up my bank account with citibank (they have a branch in bangkok) and i’m transferring my money from my ING account so that i can fund my checking and savings account. i’m excited to be earning 5% on my savings!

i also went through my closet today to get rid of the stuff i don’t need. all of my stuff has to fit in 2 suitcases i’ve got to be really selective. tomorrow i’m going to make a trip to the salvation army to donate it all and to look for another cheap suitcase.

i didn’t realize how much is involved with moving to a foreign country. i can only imagine how much harder it would be for someone with a family or real responsibilities.

i went to get my immunizations this morning and my arm is still so sore from the shots. i wasn’t expecting it to hurt but the first one she gave me left a dull aching pain that hasn’t left all day.

i’m still waiting to receive my paperwork from the school so i can apply for the work permit. i check the mail everyday hoping it will be there but no luck yet. the principal is very anxious for me to come but i don’t think i can do it any earlier than mid august because flights are cheapest then and the immunizations take about 4-5 weeks to set in. plus i keep thinking of all the other stuff i have to do like setting up a bank account, canceling all my old accounts, packing, etc etc that i’ll need this time to get everything in order.

waiting is hard though because you feel like you are in limbo, like life is on hold until you can work things out. i wish i could just get on a plane and go tomorrow!

i’m starting to get butterflies about the move. what if i don’t like it when I get there? what if something happens to me while I’m there?

I know this is totally normal because I have these feelings whenever I make a major change. It is starting to feel real now!